Paju City, Gyeonggi Province, announced on October 10 that it has decided and officially announced the 2026 living wage at 12,070 won per hour through the Labor-Management-Civil-Government Council. This amount represents a 2.9% increase compared to the 2025 living wage of 11,730 won.
The 2026 living wage in Paju is 1,750 won (16.96%) higher than the minimum wage of 10,320 won announced by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The Paju Labor-Management-Civil-Government Council determined the living wage after comprehensively considering the minimum wage increase rate, inflation rate, the city's fiscal conditions, and the overall economic situation.
The living wage is set at a level higher than the minimum wage in order to promote workers' livelihood stability and to improve the quality of life, including education and cultural opportunities.
Since the introduction of the system in 2019, the city has continuously raised the living wage amount. This year's living wage remains the fifth highest among cities in Gyeonggi Province. The newly decided living wage will be applied from January 1 next year to workers employed by the city and its affiliated and funded institutions.
Choi Daeil, Head of Corporate Support Division, stated, "This living wage decision is an important step toward improving workers' quality of life and fostering a virtuous cycle in the local economy," adding, "We will continue to develop better living wage policies, including expanding the scope of application based on social consensus."
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